Sponsored by OFFICE
Orient fashion as a trend is nothing new: we've seen it crop up on the catwalk numerous times in the past, thanks to it's functional, yet sleek aesthetic. We also saw it make headlines last year at the 2017 Met Gala, which honoured COMME des GARÇONS's Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo. And, it seems that this year, Japanese fashion has heavily influenced British and American fashion trends, both on the catwalks and off them. No surprise there, considering that Japan is always one step ahead of the curve when it comes to style and innovation.
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At Fashion Week, designer brands such as Mary Katrantzou, Gucci and Erdem interwove elements of oriental fashion - from dragon motifs to opulent floral designs, to silk materials and asymmetrical hemlines - into their latest collections. Similarly, fash packs and bloggers have seen been working orient fashion into their street style looks.
And you only have to trawl through any high-street fashion shop and you're guaranteed to find oriental-inspired staples, from kimonos to puff-ball sleeve tops. Take OFFICEs exclusive new offering, for example: their luxury sport collection Oki Kutsu (which means 'Big Shoes' in Japanese) features a range of stylish flatforms and chunky, bold silhouettes that mimic the style of footwear you'd expect to see in the streets of Harajuku. This British-Japanese hybrid collection is no doubt set to be a sell-out.
Clearly, oriental fashion is one of the sleekest and chicest trends to embrace this season, although it can be a rather tricky one to pull off. Avoid attempting to master the trend from head-to-toe, as this can often result in an out-dated, as opposed to contemporary, look.
Instead, pick one solitary statement piece to rock. For the evenings, wrap a silk, floral patterened kimono over mom jeans to create an understated, effortless ensemble. During the day, you can throw on some athleisure jogging bottoms, and slip your feet into the luxe Kinsei sandals by Oki Kutsu for Japanese-inspired street chic. And remember, the key to pulling off this trend is 'less is more'.
Shop this trend in the form of the Oki Kutsu shoe collection at OFFICE.
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